Bracteantha plant named ‘Flobragbi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bracteantha  named ‘Flobragbi’, characterized by its compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; freely-flowering habit; golden yellow-colored involucral bracts and disc florets; and short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Flobragbi.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata and referred to by the name ‘Flobragbi’.

The new Bracteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Bracteantha cultivars with numerous inflorescences, attractive involucral bract coloration and long-lasting inflorescences.

The new Bracteantha originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in September, 1997, of a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-035, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Bracteantha bracteata, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bracteantha was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia in December, 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bracteantha by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia since December, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Bracteantha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Bracteantha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Flobragbi’ and distinguish the new Bracteantha as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and bushy growth habit.     -   2. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form.     -   3. Freely-flowering habit.     -   4. Golden yellow-colored involucral bracts and disc florets.     -   5. Short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the         foliage.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were taller than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Bracteantha were denser and bushier than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Bracteantha had narrower leaves than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   5. Plants of the new Bracteantha had smaller inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Golden Beauty, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Golden Beauty in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more upright than and not         as outwardly spreading as plants of the cultivar Golden Beauty.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bracteantha were more         rounded than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Golden         Beauty.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bracteantha had more         involucral bracts and more disc florets than inflorescences of         plants of the cultivar Golden Beauty.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bracteantha. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Flobragbi’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia during the spring and summer under full sun outdoor conditions, day temperatures ranging from 15 to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10 to 15° C. Rooted liners of the new Bracteantha were planted in three-gallon containers and grown for about six months. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Flobragbi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Proprietary selection of Bracteantha             bracteata identified as code number 95-035, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown selection of Bracteantha             bracteata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About one week at 30° C.             Winter: About two weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About three             weeks at 30° C. Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to fibrous; pale brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely-branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact and bushy growth habit; upright,             outwardly spreading and rounded plant form with dense             foliage and inflorescences held above the foliage on short             peduncles. Vigorous growth habit. Freely branching, about             375 lateral branches per plant. Appropriate for three-gallon             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 49 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 28.4 cm. Width:             About 7 mm. Internode length: About 8 mm. Aspect: Erect.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 145C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single;             sessile. Length: About 5.8 cm. Width: About 4.4 mm. Shape:             Linear elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper             surface: Pubescent; rough. Texture, lower surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 137C; venation, 144D.             Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137D;             venation, 144D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form.             Inflorescences arranged acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences circular in shape.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last on the plant             for about three weeks. Inflorescences not persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is             year-round in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia; flowering             continuous.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One terminal inflorescence per             lateral branch, about 123 inflorescences per plant at one             time.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 1.8 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 6.3 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About             2.7 cm. Shape: Roughly ovoid. Color: 17A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 121 in             multiple whorls. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 4.4 mm.             Shape: Ligulate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             papery, stiff. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: 15A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             13B.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle with one whorl of filiform florets at the             perimeter of the disc. Quantity per inflorescence:             About 434. Shape: Tubular with five lobes. Length: About             7.4 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1 mm. Diameter, base: About             0.5 mm. Color, immature: 23A. Color, mature: Towards the             apex, 23A; towards the base, 22B.         -   Peduncle.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2.8 mm.             Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth. glabrous.             Color: 145C.         -   Androecium.—Present only on disc florets; minute.             Arrangement: Fused anther tube with five long thin linear             anthers surrounding the style. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther color: Yellow. Amount of pollen: Moderate.             Pollen color: Yellow.         -   Gynoecium.—Present on both filiform and disc florets;             minute. Quantity per floret: One. Style color: 23A towards             the stigma; towards the base, pale yellow. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23A.         -   Seed.—Length: About 2.7 mm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm. Color:             177C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to     Bracteantha. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from −4 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named ‘Flobragbi’, as illustrated and described. 